Synopsis
Professional heroes kill and loot deadly monsters every day, but Gorm Ingerson’s latest quest will be anything but business as usual.
Making a Killing in Professional Heroics
The adventuring industry drives the economy of Arth, a world much like our own but with more magic and fewer vowels. Monsters’ hoards are claimed, bought by corporate interests, and sold off to plunder funds long before the beasts are slain. Once the contracts and paperwork are settled, the Heroes’ Guild issues a quest to kill the monster and bring back its treasure for disbursement to shareholders.
Life in The Shadows
Of course, while professional heroics has been a great boon for Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and all the other peoples of light, it’s a terrible arrangement for the Shadowkin. Orcs, Goblins, Kobolds, and their ilk must apply for to become Noncombatant Paper Carriers (or NPCs) to avoid being killed and looted by guild heroes. Even after getting their papers, NPCs are treated as second class citizens, driven into the margins of society.
An Insane Quest
Gorm Ingerson, a Dwarven ex-hero with a checkered past, has no idea what he’s getting himself into when he stands up for an undocumented Goblin. His act of kindness starts a series of events that ends with Gorm recruited by a prophet of the mad goddess Al’Matra to fulfill a prophecy so crazy that even the Al’Matran temple doesn’t believe it.
Money, Magic, and Mayhem
But there’s more to Gorm’s new job than an insane prophecy: powerful corporations and governments, usually indifferent to the affairs of the derelict Al’Matran temple, have shown an unusual interest in the quest. If his party of eccentric misfits can stop fighting each other long enough to recover the Elven Marbles, Gorm might be able to turn a bad deal into a golden opportunity and win back the fame and fortune he lost so long ago.
Review
I was excited to dive into this book for so many reasons. Firstly, fantasy satire is hard to get right, and very easy to get wrong, and with Pratchett as the king of fantasy with a satirical edge, anything that follows has a hell of a legacy to live up to. This is the first book I’ve found that’s come close, and believe me when I say that’s the highest praise possible. Moreover, Orconomics also manages to be something unique on its own, with endearing characters and worldbuilding with both humour and a strong internal logic.
The setup for the book is brilliant. Essentially, it’s a world in which the economic system has turned traditional heroes’ quests into investment opportunities by selling the rights of monsters’ treasure hoards to the highest bidder. Then heroes go in and loot that treasure on behalf of their sponsors. This isn’t a good deal for the Shadowkin, aka goblins, orcs and other traditional fantasy “bad guys”, who have to apply to be NPCs (non-combatant paper carriers) so that they are able to live alongside the elves and dwarves and other fantasy heroes without being killed for loot. The parallels to capitalism and corporate greed are clear and there are tons of clever references to the real world throughout.
Within this system, this is the story of a disgraced dwarf, Gorm, shunned and hunted by the professional heroes’ guild for the shame of fleeing from battle. He gets himself into a spot of trouble defending a goblin NPC, which ends in him being forced go on a quest for the heroes guild that might also be his chance to rebuild his former glory. Also on the team is a goblin, an elf with a secret addiction, two squabbling magic-users, and a bard who may or may not be a thief.
As you can probably tell from the descriptions above, the story gleefully pokes fun at traditional fantasy archetypes while also adding depth to the characters that make you genuinely care for their fates. I particularly loved Gleebek, the goblin, and Kaitha, the elf addicted to healing potions and battling a constant sense of shame. The subject matter is treated with care while not taking away from the lighthearted tone of the general story, but there are some moments that pack a genuine emotional punch, too.
Overall, this is a highly entertaining adventure which works on so many levels, and I was very glad I had the sequel ready to dive into right away.
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